Charles f



(N o Modell) O. F. CHANDLER:-

SLIDING DOOR. Patented Nov. 26, 1895;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OI'IARLES F. CHANDLER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THOlVIAS D. JACOBY, OF SAME PLACE.

SLIDING DOOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,339, dated November 26, 1895.

' Application filed July 23, 1895. Serial No. 556,922. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. CHANDLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sliding Doors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in sliding doors for show-cases, barns, windows, cars, and the like, and has for its object to provide such devices that may be readily moved back and forth to admit of access to the cases, and when closed will so align as to present an unbroken surface; and with these ends in view it consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction and operation in detail, referring by number to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a horizontal section of a showcase, showing in plan the ways in which the sliding doors move; Fig. 2, a detailed section showing the ball-bearings in their relative position to the ways; Fig. 3, a detailed section of one of these bearings.

Similar numbers denote like parts in all of the views of the drawings.

Referring to the Figs. 1, 2, and 3, 1 represents a case for the display of goods and the like, having its ends and front closed by stationary glasses 2, and its back by the sliding doors 3 and 4. The door 3is adapted to travel in any suitable ways (not shown) and is provided with a beveled rail 5 for the purpose presently explained. To the top and bottom of the case is secured grooved Ways 6, in which run the rollers 7, adapted to revolve about the shank of the screw 9, which passes through the center of the disk 8 and into the frame of the door 4. 10 are disks secured to the top and bottom of this door and through which the screws 9 also pass.

11 are balls arranged in series between the plates 8 and 10 in annular grooves formed in said plates,'and these balls act as antifriction-bearings, in order that the disks 8 may revolve more freely when the door 4 is slid back and forth. I

12 is a beveled meeting-rail adapted to fit against the rail 5 to form a closed joint when 7 the doors are in alignment.

The grooved ways 6 are so curved at one of their ends that upon moving the door 4 forward in the act of opening it is caused, by following these curves, to move away from the beveled rail 5 and finally slide parallel with the door 3, to the position shown in dotted.

ends of the grooved ways, when it will throw it out of the line of movement of the door 3, when the latter may be freely moved back and forth.

The inner flanges 13 of the grooved ways are so disposed relative to their outer flanges 14 that the disks 8 will be caused to bear against said inner flanges without coming in contact with said outer flanges, and this will impart a rotary motion to said disks in the proper direction to reduce friction upon the door 4 being moved back and forth. Thus it will be seen that a case provided with my improvement, when closed, will present the same appearance upon the back as upon the front, there being no uneven offset meetingedges, and by the use of the ball-bearings the sidewise movement of the door 4; is so facilitated as to move as readily as if traveling in a straight line only.

To still further reduce the friction between the moving parts of the device, I may interpose balls 15 between the roller 7 and disk 8,

and balls may also be arranged around the circumference of the roller in a groove of such shape as to retain said balls against falling out, and yet permit the exposure of a sufficient amount of their surface to bear against the walls of the groove 6.

My improvement is also especially adapted for car, barn, and other doors, as will be apsite flange, a disk working on the higher flange with a shank working in the groove, balls arranged in grooves on the disk, and a second disk secured to the door and working on the balls of the lower disk, for the purpose described.

2. In combination, a pair of sliding doors, grooved ways having their ends curved toward one of said doors, with the flange of one edge higher than the flange of the opposite edge,

disks secured to the door, supporting disks having shanks running in the grooves, the disks being supported by the higher flanges and ball bearings between the disks, as and for the purpose described.

3. The herein described combination of a door; disks 10 secured thereto, disks 8, interposed balls secured between the disks, grooves having the flange in one side at a higher level than the opposite flange, the disks 8'traveling on the higher flanges and having shanks working in the grooves, as and for the purpose described.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses,

CHARLES F. CHANDLER. Witnesses:

ALLISON W. MCCURDY, S. F. WILLIAMsoN. 

